Trial By Fire
Author:Mary Jo BowlingWhen they lost everything, this couple reinvented their home with a fresh, new style.
Another compromise was the countertops. Christina loves marble but when practicality demanded honed granite work surfaces, it became the backsplash. Open shelves let Christina display family pieces. “Every morning I wake up and go into the kitchen and I find it refreshing and inspiring,” says Christina. “It’s a great place for some quiet time before the day gets busy.”
Photographer: Suzanna Scott
Of course, the engine that powers those dinner parties is the kitchen, and this one is a study in compromise. “Christina is drawn to crisp, white kitchens and Tim prefers other colors,” says Haines. “We have gray-stained walnut cabinets on the bottom and white cabinets on top.”
Photographer: Suzanna Scott
The large dining room and kitchen were also persuasive. “It was important to me to have a more formal dining room. I couldn’t imagine having Thanksgiving dinner at a farm table in the kitchen,” says Christina.
Photographer: Suzanna Scott
In translation, soft modern means that the minimal aesthetic is mediated by sleek molding, cozy textiles and traditional materials. “At first, I struggled with the concept,” says Christina. “But the details in the baseboard and the trim around the windows and doors won me over.”
Photographer: Suzanna Scott
With the new spaces set, the questions of style began. Christina favors classic design; Tim is a modernist. “We landed on a look that’s modern with a slightly traditional feel,” says Haines. “The spaces are clean-lined, but there’s a softness to them. We call it ‘soft modern.’”
Photographer: Suzanna Scott
Sutro also widened the hallway and added windows along it, making it brighter and allowing the new living space to be seen from the front door. Just off the entry, there’s now an entertaining space they call the “cocktail room”.
Photographer: Suzanna Scott
“Before, the house was a typical railroad flat with a living room and dining room up front and a long, dark hallway with a jog in the center that led to a kitchen,” Sutro says. “As you went back, the floor plan narrowed. We added a 250-square-foot side addition there, and this gave us space for an open-plan kitchen, living room and dining room at the rear of the house.”
Photographer: Suzanna Scott
With the team set, the rebuilding—and reinvention—began, and the couple treated the project as a new beginning. From the outset, Sutro recognized an opportunity for improving the flow of the space.
Photographer: Suzanna Scott
A chance encounter rounded out the team. While touring the 2015 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, Christina ran into interior designer Brittany Haines, creator of the study that year. Haines, principal at ABD Studio, was more qualified than Christina knew. “When I was a child, my family home burned down, and we lost absolutely everything. I had experienced the kind of loss and the stresses that go with a fire.”
Photographer: Suzanna Scott
High on that list: finding an architect and interior designer. The answers turned out to be close to home. “Stephen Sutro’s office was in our neighborhood, and I just dropped in,” says Christina. “Finding him was a lucky break, as his style is a great fit for us.”
Photographer: Suzanna Scott
Most remodel projects start after months of planning, but this one came out of the blue. “We had imagined that one day we might update the kitchen,” says Christina. “We never anticipated a full-scale remodel on short notice. We were faced with a giant to-do list.”
Photographer: Suzanna Scott
After a long search, Tim and Christina, the owners of this San Francisco flat, had finally found their home. They’d filled the Edwardian unit with art and family antiques. Then, just six months after unpacking, disaster struck. “I got a call telling me our home was on fire,” says Christina. The couple lost nearly everything to the blaze.
Photographer: Suzanna Scott